When Covid-19 swept the world, governments scrambled to protect their citizens and chart a course back to normality. As Health Secretary, Matt Hancock was at the forefront of Britain’s battle against the virus, trying to steer the country through the crisis in a world where information was scarce, judgements huge and the roadmap non-existent.
Drawing on a wealth of never-before-seen material, including official records, his notes at the time and communications with all the key players in Britain’s Covid-19 story, this candid account reveals the inner workings of government during a time of national crisis, reflecting on both the successes and the failures.
Recounting the most important decisions in the race to develop a vaccine in record time and to build a nationwide testing capacity from the ground up, Pandemic Diaries provides the definitive account of Britain’s battle to turn the tide against Covid-19. Crucially, it also offers an honest assessment of the lessons we need to learn to be prepared for next time – because there will be a next time.
A propos de l’auteur
Isabel Oakeshott is an award-winning political journalist and broadcaster. She was political editor of the Sunday Times and co-wrote White Flag? An Examination of the UK’s Defence Capability with Michael Ashcroft; Farmageddon: An Investigation into the True Cost of Cheap Meat with Philip Lymbery; and various other non-fiction titles. She is international editor for Talk TV and writes for The Spectator, the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday.